Two Shadows Went 1

Lance knew his place. He was the second prince of Altea. The Son of Alfor. The younger brother to the fierce Crown Princess Allura. He knew where he fit in. The titles that sat on his shoulders may not all be something he'd been comfortable with. But he bore them all the same, because despite all the responsibility that came with Lance's family, he loved them.

There was only one position he cherished, the Blue Paladin. Blue was his. And he would never give her up. He adored letting himself slide into her essence, feeling her purring warmth envelop him, lapse at him like waves of the seas.

The day he was chosen by Blue was possibly the best day of Lance’s entire life. He couldn't stop smiling every time he thought of how she had turned to him, how only he had been able to cross her force field. The moment his hand had found her smooth surface had been a burst of awareness in his mind. He'd been told how the Lions were basically gods whose feet happened to touch the ground. But he can't say he ever believed it till he felt Blue thumbing though him, filling him with love and comfort and support.

Blue was all Lance had ever wanted past that point.

But if becoming a Paladin was the best day of his life--now, sitting here across from his sister, in the grand council room, was possibly the worst.

"No." Lance blurted.

Allure shifted in her seat. "Lance," she said as warmly as his sister had ever tried to manage.

"It's not that simple."

Lances brow creased. But it was.

His expression must have prompted a response because his sister was sitting up straighter, her face smoothing and mouth posed in a way she knew made her look cold. Lance always wondered if his sister really was cold under that Queenly cloak she pulled around her at times like this, or if she was just much better at doing her duties than Lance was.

"Lance." Her voice had more resounding tone to it now. She was dipping into an Alpha command. But she never would go there, at least not with Lance. "We need this."

"I'm the Blue Paladin." Lance argued. "The royal family has always had a paladin you said, and I'm right here, I am one."

"Yes but--" Allure pressed her lips into a hard line. "We both know Shiro's choosing was unexpected."

That was the understatement of the century. When Alfor had released his Bayard back to Black officially passing on the mantle, Allura had stepped forward--

Lance could still feel the uncomfortable silence that had filled the courtyard when Black had stepped over Allure and bowed at the feet of a nameless, bloodless captain. Allura's face had looked so shocked, so broken, so in disbelief. Lance wasn't sure he'd ever seen his sister that taken by surprise in his whole life.

The only one in the crowd that hadn't been shocked was the captain himself. With a regal nature so natural, the Captain of the guard stepped forward, crossing the barrier with ease and accepted the Bayard of the Black Paladin.

That one moment had changed everything.

"The Ruler of Altea has always been a Paladin." Allura spoke. It was what she didn’t say that creased her brow with determination.

Lance didn't look up from his hands on the table.

They both knew Lance had no interest in ruling. He never had. He enjoyed being the younger prince. It meant he was still allowed to fuck up ever now and again. He was allowed to be goofy and impossibly talkative and take crazy adventures and be besties with the low-born Yellow Paladin. He wouldn't be king after all. He didn't need to act Regal, he just needed to be around.

Allura would be Queen. It was her birth right, she wanted it and Lance was more than elated to let her have it.

"And the future is looking very bleak, Lance." She was wearing that Queenly mask still. "We have to think about the next heir. My rule will be accepted now. But I have to have backing from the Paladins." She meant Black.

Shiro it turned out had been less nameless then they had thought. He was the youngest captain ever in the Altean forces. The men below him were fiercely loyal. The men above him respected him. He was an astounding fighter pilot and a rousing leader. He embodied every aspect of Black. And he was a chess piece the future crown needed on her side.

"If war with the Galra comes," Allure paused. "We have to be ready. And we have to make sure the future doesn't hold any surprises."

They needed a Black Paladin heir. One of the bloodline.

"But why me?" Lance asked.

Allura reached across the table, for the first time her regal manor falling away as she reached for him, placing her hand over his and squeezing. "Lance, baby brother, you know why."

It would be unladylike to say it out loud, but they both knew.

Lance was an Omega. He could life bond with another Alpha. Allura was an Alpha. And so was Shiro, and two Alpha's couldn't life bond. Even if Allura was the one to go through with it. Everyone would know it was a marriage just for show. There would be nothing real holding them together. And Allura couldn't have that.

Lance always knew a side of his sister was ruthless. Beyond ruthless, she was completely merciless. There was a reason they all hadn't questioned her status as the next Black Paladin. Her ambition was matched only by her determination.

And she wanted to rule.

Lance stared back down at this hands. His sisters soft fingers still lay across his own.

He knew how the game of rulers worked. To stay in power, they needed to hold the most pieces of power. And the Black Paladin was a big piece. It was essential in holding military control, popular sway and even reinforced the ideas of Divine choosing.

They needed the Black Paladin locked down on their side.

Lance pulled his hand out from under his sisters.

It stung a bit too much at that moment to know he was being used as another chess piece.

"But I've barely even spoken to him." Lance tried to argue.

Allura brushed it off. “Oh, but Lance he will make such a good suitor!"

Lance couldn't find it in him to care.

"Shiro is so accomplished! And he's only my age. Did you know he was admitted to the academy at fourteen? That's amazing. He graduated top of his class. He was one of the most well marked pilots ever seen and by the night Black chose him he had command of his own ship. Lance, really neither me or father could have ever dreamed to find you a better match."

Still not looking up, Lance wasn't sure what to say. There was another reason, hidden in all those accomplishments.

"You don't care about those things," Lance whispered mostly to himself.

"Lance!" Allura balked as if she was actually offended.

"It's that arm," Lance when on. "The only real accomplishment you care about is his right arm."

That stilled the room.

Finally Allure did speak up. "He knows first hand how much of a threat the Galra are to us."

Lance gave a sigh. "And we need that on our side."

He was sure Allura was staring at him, her eyes baring into him. “Yes, we do, baby brother."

Pressing his lips together, Lance tried another tactic. "There's no way we will ever get along."

"Of course you will." Allura assured. "Historically a union between The Black and Blue Paladin has shown overwhelmingly that your personalities will mesh."

Would they? Lance highly doubted that the goofy, fuck up Paladin and the painstakingly serious one would have any reason to speak, let alone become—bonded.

Lance still didn't look up. "I don't want to."

It was Allura's turn to sigh. "I know. But I stand by what I said. I don't know if we could have ever found a better suitor than this, Lance."

Lance wasn't sure he believed her.

That's why as he smoothed his hand over his face, he used his long fingers to cover his eyes, giving him an excuse not to look at his sister before he nodded.